Review of Hang 'em High (1968) by Brian B — 21 Jan 2011

"Hang 'Em High" holds an important place in Clint Eastwood's career. Not only was it the first film to be produced by his production company, Malpaso, but it was the first American film in which he received top billing. Released in Summer 1968, it rode the popular wave of Sergio Leone's Man with no Name trilogy with Eastwood, and demonstrated the influence that Leone's films had exerted on the Western genre. The plot is a old Western standard of revenge, but it feels pedestrian and plods along providing little entertainment for long stretches of time.

Most of the film is pretty predictable - Eastwood sets out as a vigilante but becomes a man of the law and develops a conscience along the way. There is a half developed rape revenge subplot that features actress Inger Stevens but that seems to have been included so there would be a female presence in the film. Director, Ted Post (who worked with Eastwood on the television series "Rawhide" and collaborate with him again on the Dirty Harry sequel "Magnum Force") works in anonymous fashion, aping Leone's use of the zoom lens and keeping the whole affair moving forward.

Eastwood's character may not be a "man with no name" of course, but he is decidedly vicious, single minded and not entirely sympathetic. This being Hollywood in the sixties, Eastwood's character is softened up and given a love interest. Unlike Leone's westerns Eastwood is surrounded by great character actors like Ben Johnson, Ed Begley and the ever reliable Pat Hingle. The film also features early work from Bruce Dern, already playing crazy, and Dennis Hopper, who dies too soon after only one insane monologue. The film was shot on beautiful locations, but doesn't look particularly impressive because of a bland cinematography and poor framing choices. The attitudes in the film are rather confused - it can't decide whether or not it is in favor of capital punishment, and some interesting observations about the development of Hanging Judges into State governments are left as something of an afterthought. There's also a certain gloating sadism that negates any serious thoughts the film has on the immorality of killing.